Automatic third-rail contact-shoe guard.



W. E. HAYES." AUTOMATIC THIRD RAIL OONTAOT SHOE GUARD APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1908.

I Patented Spt.29,1908.

INVENTOR 67.

ATTORNEY no: nonms PETERS co., WI5'4INGTON, n. c,

WILLIAM E. HAYES, OF FRANKFORT, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC THIRD-RAIL CONTACT-SHOE GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed January 22, 1908. Serial No. 412,120.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HAYEs, of the village of Frankfort, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Third-Rail Contact- Shoe Guards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription thereof, which will enable others skil make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved automatic third rail contact-shoe guard which is simple in construction and eflicient in operation, and consists in the main of an insulating covering or guard for the contact shoe and means for raising and lowering such covering or guard.

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of the device attached to a car truck beam, except as to a small portion of the curtain or cover, which is removed to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 as to its left-hand portion is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1 in the position in, which they are shown in Fig.- 1, and as to its right-hand end is a side elevation of certain parts lying in the rear with the parts in the foreground eliminated. Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 2, with the parts in what may be termed the working position. Fi 4 is a sectional view taken on ine 44 of ig. 1, together with an elevation of the parts lying immediately to the right of the plane of the section. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig.- 1 su lemented by dotted lines showing the fol d ed positions of the parts.

Referring to the reference letters and figures in a more particular description, 10 indicates a special car truck beam, provided for the purpose of supporting the mechanism herein, shown in suitable position on the truck and preferably being of wood to serve as an insulating support for the mechanism. For mounting the contact shoe 11 on the beam 10, it is provided with a bracket 12 to which the shoe 11 is hinged or pivoted at 13. The shoe is rovided with the usual springs as 14 for ho din it in proper workin position and the late or catch as 15, whereby the ed in the art to which it appertains to shoe may be released to be turned into folded position, as shown in dotted lines in Fi 5.

The shoe 11 is provided with an e ectric conductor 16 connected therewith, and these parts may all be substantially as provided for third rail contact shoes. In connection with the shoe, I provide the cover or protector 20 of insulating material mounted on a stirrup-shaped hanger 21 and hinged or pivoted 1n bearings at 22. The shoe and protector 20 may be further provided with a flexible curtain or cover 23 preferably of thin rubber secured at its outer end to the protector 20 and at the inner end to the beam 10. Normally, the protector 2O occupies a position immediately over the contact shoe 11, as well shown in Fig. 5. It assumes this position naturally by gravity. When, however, the shoe 11 is running in contact with the underside of a third rail, it becomes necessary to elevate the rotector 20 into an inclined position out of t e way of the rail.

As a means provided for timely elevating the protector out of danger of contact with the rail, there is provided a preceding traveler consisting of a roller 25 mounted on the swinging outer end of an arm 26, which arm is mounted on a rock shaft 27 supported in bearings from the beam 10 and preferably provided with a brace 28. The end of the arm 26 which engages the shaft 27 is provided with a square eye or opening engaging with a short square portion on the shaft 27 when in normal working position, but being capable of lateral movement on the shaft, whereby it is disengaged from the square portion and adapted to swing around the shaft independently thereof. For holding the arm 26 in position on the said square portion when desired, there is provided on the shaft 27 a pivoted latch 30 having a thick block-like end adapted to be interposed between the end of the brace 28 and the adjacent bearing in which the shaft 27 is mounted. When this latch is opened and the blocking thereby removed, the whole device, consisting of the arm 26 of the brace 28, may be shifted laterally along the shaft. The shaft 27 has secured thereto a pin or projection 31 which engages in an eye or opening in the lever 32, which lever lies iplarallel to the beam 10 and is mounted on a Xed pivot 33. The pivot 33 divides the lever 32 into long and short arms, the short arm of which engages with the projection 31 before mentioned, and the long arm engages with a crank 34 connected with the hanger 21 supporting the protector before men tioned.

In order to provide for the car moving in either direction and automatically operating the shoe protector, a traveler is provided at each side of the shoe and protector, both connected to the protector so that one or the other will automatically and timely move the protector to open position. The third rail, indicated by A, is, of course, supported in the usual manner to engage with the shoe and is provided with the usual upturned or inclined end to en age with the shoe, and this end is also utilized to engage with the traveler and operate the shoe protector. As the car comes to the end of the third rail, the traveler roller 25 first reaches the rail and is ridden down as it passes under the upturned end thereof. This depressing of the traveler operating through the mechanism described; that is to say, the arm 26, the rock shaft 27, the projection 31, the lever 32, the crank 34. and the hanger 21, serves to elevate the protector 20 so as to be out of the way of the rail when it reaches the position of the shoe. The shoe rubs along on the underside of the rail as the car moves forward in the usual manner. The traveler at the op osite side of the shoe will, of course, be helc down by the third rail also when the shoe and traveler run out from under the third rail. There being no further force to hold the traveler depressed, the surplus weight in the protector will cause the same to assume its normal position over the shoe and slightly elevate the travelers, in which position they will be ready for a repetition of their operation. 1

By releasing the latch and slipping the arm 26 with the brace 28 along the shaft 27 toward the shoe a little ways, these parts will be released so that they can be folded into a substantially vertical position, close against the beam 10, where they will be out of the way. This is often necessary or desirable where cars are operated by trolley, as within city limits. The third rail shoe 11 may be also folded at the same time in the usual way and under similar conditions.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure. by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the contact shoe for a third rail of a movable guard therefor, and a guard operating mechanism having a traveler arranged. in advance of the shoe and adapted to engage with and be operated by the third rail, substantially shown and set forth in the foregoing specification.

2. The combination with a contact shoe for third rails of a movable guard for the shoe, means for removing the guard from its protecting position, and a traveler arranged in advance of the shoe to engage on and be operated by the third rail, and connected through said means to the guard, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a contact shoe for third rails of a movable protecting insulator for said shoe, and means arranged in advance of the shoe and. acting on the third rail to move the insulator aside as the rail is approached, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have aflixed my signature hereto in the presence of two witnesses, this 20 day of January, 1908.

WlLLIAt l E. .IrlAYES.

Witnesses:

PETER H. EAGAN, IsAAc HAYS. 

